FIPPA Newsletter - March 2007.
Welcome to this edition of the FIPPA Newsletter.
EAMONN BIRCHALL - retiring PPUI Administrator.
Former P.P.U.I. President Eamonn Birchall retired in February 2007 after spending seventeen years as P.P.U.I. Office Administrator. Eamonn joined Dublin’s Shandon in 1955 and has remained involved in our sport ever since, serving as a very fine administrator in a huge range of capacities. Fippa.net were delighted that he agreed to give us his thoughts on retirement and his perspective on Pitch and Putt today.
How has Pitch and Putt changed since the ‘50s/’60s?
Primarily in the areas of equipment and technology. Balls are the larger size nowadays and modern construction has made them much easier to spin. Players use lofted wedges with grooves these days, whereas then the preferred item of pitching equipment was an 8 or a 9 iron. Automatic watering systems make for much softer greens in recent times. Back in the ‘50s/’60s, you could be playing the small ball to hard greens with the old clubs with the punched faces. You aimed for the front of the greens and hoped! The game was harder then. Facilities at courses and clubhouses have also improved out of all recognition.
What do you think the future holds for Pitch and Putt? In Ireland? Internationally?
Pitch and Putt has thrived for fifty years and will continue to thrive. Everybody (domestically and internationally) should concentrate on building on what we have now. Make that strong before rushing ahead to develop new areas. Steady sustainable progress is best.
What will you miss about life as Pitch and Putt Union of Ireland Office Administrator?
I’ll miss being at the centre of things. I’ve always enjoyed talking to club secretaries and helping to solve any problems they might have. Meeting deadlines, getting draws made and circulated and maintaining records have always been sources of satisfaction to me. I’ll miss the fun of the daily interaction with everybody in Pitch and Putt and I’ll miss the camaraderie I had built up with the other sport administrators at Sport HQ.
What won’t you miss?
I won’t miss getting up at 6.00 a.m. and taking two buses across town to get to my desk in Park West!
What was the highlight of your long administrative career before you became a salaried official of PPUI?
I suppose being elected the first P.P.U.I. President to serve a three-year term (1977-1979) stands out. I’m also proud of my record of having held administrative Pitch and Putt positions in six different decades – the fifties, sixties, seventies, eighties, nineties and noughties.
What was your favourite playing moment?
They’re all too far back to remember! My most enjoyable moment on a course came in 2005. I was mentor and selector to the Dublin juvenile team. We brought them from finishing last in the 2003 championship to regaining the National Inter-County title (for the first time in twelve years) at Old County. The feeling that day was one of sheer delight.
Who do you rank as the best player of all time?
It’s an impossible question. I’ve seen so many great players. As far as Ladies are concerned, I’ve been lucky enough to watch the likes of Clare Keating (fourteen times Irish champion), Mildred Doyle (Eamonn’s protégé from his own club Shandon), Geraldine Ward (ten times Irish champion), Bernadette Coffey (the sweet swinging Kildare lady), the enduring quality and doggedness of Margaret Hogan and latterly the Byrnes, Marian and Chrissie. Men? In some respects, Bernard Rogers won a lot less than his brother Kevin but for pure ball striking, I think Bernard was better. Gus Carolan was superb as was Mick Forrest. Sean Downes and Ray Murphy are probably the best of the latter day players.
Your view of www.fippa.net?
I enjoy it and read it avidly. It’s very well constructed and provides all the member countries with a great insight as to what’s happening in FIPPA and around the world. I particularly enjoy the Course of The Month feature.
How do you think the P.P.U.I.’s General Secretary idea will fare?
It’s a sound idea and ties-in with the Union’s current strategy. The Executive will need to do their homework though. The terms of reference will have to be clearly laid down, particularly in relation to interaction with the President, which has traditionally been the most influential position in Irish Pitch and Putt.
Should Pitch and Putt have a separate set of rules?
Yes, of course. The full rules of golf are not appropriate as we need to cater for the specific requirements of 90 metre maximum holes often laid out in a restricted space. Pitch and Putt is a separate sport so we must have our own rules. Anything not specifically catered for in a Pitch and Putt rulebook can always be referred to the Golf Rules or Decisions on the Rules of Golf.
What are your plans for your retirement?
I certainly intend to play more Pitch and Putt and I hope Jo (my wife) will return to the sport as well. I enjoy gardening and I hope to get even more involved in my parish community work. I also look forward to spending plenty of time with my granddaughter.
(with John Manning)
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